When a guest initiates a reservation through your Hostaway Booking Website, the system utilizes a secure 2-step checkout process to manage availability and payments. This article explains how the "Awaiting Payment" and "Expired" statuses work, how they protect your calendar, and why certain manual actions (like cancellations) are restricted.
The 2-Step Checkout Workflow
To prevent double-bookings while a guest is in the middle of entering payment details, Hostaway temporarily secures the selected dates.
Step 1: Awaiting Payment (Calendar Blocked)
- How it is triggered: As soon as a guest completes the first step of checkout (entering their contact and reservation details) and clicks to proceed to payment, the booking is created in Hostaway with the status "Awaiting Payment".
- System Action: Hostaway immediately blocks these dates on your calendar. This temporary hold ensures that no other guest can book the same dates on your website or connected OTA channels during the checkout process.
Step 2: The 30-Minute Payment Window
The guest is redirected to the payment page and has exactly 30 minutes to complete their payment transaction.
- Scenario A (Successful Payment): If the payment goes through successfully, the status automatically updates to "New" (Confirmed).
- Scenario B (Unsuccessful/No Payment): If the payment fails or the guest closes the page before completing the payment within the 30-minute limit, the reservation automatically transitions to "Expired" status.
What Happens to "Expired" Reservations?
Once a reservation transitions to "Expired," the system automatically takes the following actions:
- Automatic Release of Dates: The 30-minute temporary calendar block is immediately released. The dates are reopened and become instantly bookable again on your website and channels.
- Read-Only Status: The reservation is marked as inactive and becomes a historical record of an incomplete checkout attempt.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why can't I manually cancel an "Expired" reservation?
Because "Expired" is an inactive, terminal status representing a checkout session that was never completed, it cannot be manually canceled, modified, or updated.
- There is no active booking or contract to cancel.
- The calendar dates have already been released back to your inventory automatically, so no further manual intervention is required to open the dates.
Can I retroactively process a payment on an expired booking?
No. Because the reservation session has expired, payments cannot be processed retroactively. If the guest still wishes to book, they must start a new reservation.
What should my guests do if their session expires?
If a guest exceeds the 30-minute limit, they will see an expiration message. They should simply click "Search again" on the checkout page, which will refresh their session and allow them to start the booking process over.